


Dousing The Fire

by littlemisfit5290



Category: The X-Files
Genre: Drabble, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Originally Posted on Tumblr, Post Episode: s11e01 My Struggle III, The X-Files Revival
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-05
Updated: 2018-01-05
Packaged: 2019-02-28 11:45:44
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 881
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13270785
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/littlemisfit5290/pseuds/littlemisfit5290
Summary: Post MS3. Mulder brings Scully home from the hospital.





	Dousing The Fire

**Author's Note:**

> My effort to make sense of this episode. Take as you will.

“C’mon, let’s get the hell out of here,” Mulder says gruffly. 

Between the scene with Skinner, the blood spatter on his shirt and the scrapes on his partner’s face, he wants this whole goddamn day over and done with and senses that Scully feels the same way.

They sign the discharge papers and the staff insist she use a wheelchair upon leaving the hospital. Scully relents only because she used her “break out of the ICU free” card earlier, and she’s so damn tired she can hardly see straight.

The car ride home she sleeps, only to be awoken forty minutes later by a soft kiss to the side of her head. 

“M…Mulder, where-“

“Just got home. Wait right there.”

Exiting the parked car Mulder walks around to the passenger side, opens her door and helps her to her feet.

 Holding his hand, Scully leans into him as they make their way onto the porch and through the front door.

Once in the living room she slips off her shoes before retreating upstairs. Mulder patiently follows a step behind her until she ducks into the upstairs bathroom. After ditching his bloodied shirt he turns down the bed. Makes sure some books are in reach and that Scully’s phone is charging on the nightstand.

Exiting the bathroom, her face wound cleaned and butterfly bandaged, Scully sinks onto the bed. Instinctively leans back into the pillows before she winces. Her aching shoulder and neck muscles screaming at her.

“Are you alright?”

“I…the pain pills they gave me are in my purse. I just can’t take them on an empty stomach.”

“How’s a grilled cheese sound?”

“Sounds good,” Scully replies, giving him a sleepy, small smile as he nods, covers her up with a nearby afghan before going downstairs to prepare the food.

He returns a short while later to see her, much to his agitation, on her feet and poking around in the top drawer of her dresser.

“Scully, get back in bed,” he says, setting the sandwich plate on the bed. “The cheese is gonna congeal.”

“In a second, I’m just looking for something,” she sighs as she starts picking up random items from the drawer. Shifting them around and rearranging them in search of something.

“Scully…”

“Damn it, Mulder. I just…”

“Whatever it is you need I’ll find in here, okay.”

“I don’t need you to find it. You…you wouldn’t know where to find it,” she says adamantly. Still rifling through the door she stops short when she finally finds it, acting as her bookmark for her worn copy of Moby Dick.

“Find what?!” Mulder growls, but softens when she turns around and he sees her eyes. His heart twists the same way it did in the hospital and he moves closer to her. She blinks back fresh tears, runs her thumb over William’s chubby cheeked face. 

“I just needed to see him like this. After the visions…after everything. I needed a reminder. Of the way I remember him best.”

Nodding, Mulder guides her back into bed. Curls up beside her as she winces, situates herself.

“He’s gonna find us, Scully. You and I both are gonna see the way our son is now.”

“I had a dream, Mulder. In the car on the way here.”

“What about? Was it keeping with the visions?“

“I was with William. I was on a bridge with him. You…you were on one side of it. You were hurt, you were in pain. And the Smoking Man he…he was on the other side. Him and Skinner. They wanted us to leave you. They said we belonged with them.”

“It was only a dream, Scully,” Mulder assures, curling closer to her as she shakes her head.

“How do you know that? I was seizing and having visions, Mulder. My brain activity is abnormal to the point the doctors can barely diagnose the cause. After today, I didn’t know who to listen to, who was hearing me. What I told you earlier at the hospital. I don’t know what the truth is or where it lies! I want to go back to work because it’s something I can put my back up against. It’s something I know, that I can deal with. I…I can’t deal with this, Mulder!  God, at least with the goddamn cancer I knew what was in store for me. I knew what to expect.”

“Don’t even talk like that, Scully. Please,” he says roughly. After a beat he lets out a sigh, sits up slightly so he can see her eyes. 

“Listen to me. Whatever happens. Whatever comes next, I heard you today. And I’m here.”

Reaching over he squeezes her hand, twines their fingers before bringing her knuckles to his lips.

“We’ll figure this out, Scully. We’ll go back to work, to uncovering the truth. And hopefully, we’ll uncover a way to see our son. Really see him.”

“Mulder…” Scully says, softly smiling as he lies back down. 

“And if you think the Smoking Man has any chance in hell of separating the three of us when that happens, maybe your brain really is on fire,” he says with a smirk, earning a swat before she snuggles closer. Reaches for the plate of grilled cheese. 


End file.
